'If I were asked to name the most needed of all reforms in the spirit of education I should say: cease conceiving of education as mere preparation for later life, and make of it the full meaning of the present life. And to add that only in this case does it become truly a preparation for later life is not the paradox it seems. An activity which does not have worth enough to be carried as for its own sake cannot be very effective as a preparation for something else (...).- John Dewey

​Overview​In applying to the Cairo Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences CILAS, you seek admission to a yearlong study programme in the liberal arts. CILAS invites students from all walks of life who have completed high school (a Bachelor's degree is recommended but not required) to engage with the liberal arts in an effort to develop a wise appreciation of the complexity of the world. CILAS recognises that in today's world, one needs to be able to interpret changing global conditions; mobilise resources effectively; and guide teams of diverse people. Students are challenged and supported to cultivate these skills.

Curriculum and labs

The academic year at CILAS begins in September and ends in mid-June the following year. The year is divided into trimesters. The curriculum at CILAS is divided into four, cross-disciplinary field of studies. A core curriculum introduces students to the four field of studies during the first trimester. All students are required to complete core courses in the field Arts & Culture, Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. In trimesters two and three, students choose two field-specific thematic courses. In parallel to their course-related work, students sign up to experiment in one of CILAS' labs.

Workload and schedule

Study at CILAS is intellectually demanding and requires a commitment of at least twenty-five weekly hours. CILAS schedules its classes flexibly. Early birds can attend class in the morning (10 am to 12 pm) and night owls may attend the evening slot (5 pm to 7 pm). Students complete four, two-hour long classes a week and are expected to dedicate no less than four hours of individual study to class preparation per class. In trimesters two and three students may choose two thematic courses a trimester. In addition to the classes students are required to attend their weekly lab meeting.

Fellows and class size

Teachers at CILAS are called fellows. Four residential fellows coordinate a field of study each. Coordination entails co-creating and hosting courses, as well as helping organise guest lectures, workshops, film screenings and field trips. Fellows have completed graduate studies at distinguished universities, are experienced pedagogues and are attuned to the Egyptian context. As a student you will partake in group discussions with on average seven other students and can choose to sit with the fellows during their weekly tea hours.

Attendanceand methodology

Students are required to attend at least 80% of classes ready and eager to present their reflections and findings. CILAS operates under a pedagogy of discovery; not a pedagogy of consumption. This is to say that what we cover at CILAS matters less than what a student discovers. Discussion Based Learning is the main method of instruction at CILAS and relies heavily on the participation of students. The difference between a fellow and a student is that the fellow knows how to be a student; they are not the ones who know the answers but the ones who know how to find out.

Assessment

CILAS assesses the performance of students, fellows and the institute in a dialogical and sustainable way. Anarrative system of evaluation in lieu of grades provides students with personalised guidance. Students' work is carefully assessed and appreciated, and room for improvement discussed together. CILAS assesses students' ability to de-construct and re-construct phenomena, categories and theories; their ability to communicate across disciplines in written and spoken from; theirability to raise original questions, cultivate curiosity, and pursue personal interests along their respective paths of self-discovery and self-knowledge.

Curriculum overview (subject to students' concerns and interests; below is an example from the academic year 2014-2015)